Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
On a serene Saturday morning, a patrol car of Abu Dhabi Police decided to cruise in the middle of two lanes from Yas Island to Ghantoot before turning back. There was no emergency – on a welcome note.
Instead, in the double lane for most of the road to Dubai, followed a convoy of Porsche cars that left others spellbound and made its way to Icons of Porsche, the fifth annual gathering of the marque which was held at the Dubai Design District.
Though it was the Defender model car of Abu Dhabi Police which led the way, it was the caravan of about 20 Porsches, from a 1970 classic to a 2025 electric Macan 4, that proved to be the show-stopper. And it was only the start. When they stopped and parked, they joined hundred more stunners, each beautiful in their own way.
The line-up included everything from more rare classics to a Batmobile-shaped hypercar, commissioned for IndyCar owner Roger Penske and which can reach speeds of 320km/h, to cute cars with Labubu and the variants of the iconic Spyder models of Porsche. At the entrance of Icons of Porsche was a GT3 sports car as representative of Rabdan Motorsport Academy in association with Abu Dhabi Ports Group.
The annual festival has become one of the region’s biggest gatherings of car culture, especially for classic lovers. It is a community feature now that closely follows the one in Stuttgart for the German-origin marque.
This year in the UAE was unusually strong. Owners travelled in groups, families made a weekend out of it, and every one joined in what has become an annual reunion of sorts or even "a pilgrimage of Porsche owners from all over the world", as one Kuwaiti owner said.
The love for classics is an evergreen one, says Wissam Khalil, the Porsche Abu Dhabi centre’s general manager. “Collectors are looking for cars with strong provenance and honest history. Younger enthusiasts, in particular, are drawn to the analogue driving feel and design purity of these cars.”
He credited Abu Dhabi’s deepening interest in heritage motoring to a mix of maturing tastes, improved support for classic ownership and the way social events – from small morning drives to large cross-emirate convoys – help people connect around shared passions.
For Khalil, the sight of that long convoy heading north was nothing but a nod to the classic-car community in the emirate – a growing, multigenerational network of collectors, and young enthusiasts finding their voice.
An art gallery, e-sports arena, live music, food and fun for the families gave it the wheels to present modern culture.
On one end of the axle were classic car owners with people from all over the region – Aletihad spoke to people from Kuwait, Qatar and Germany – while the hypercar resembling a batmobile was a star attraction.
"This is a kind of reunion, but also a pilgrimage for many ardent Porsche owners like me," said Kuwait resident Mustafa Ahmed.
A perfect example being a Taycan Turbo GT, which is being showcased in Vaillant livery, a tribute to the famous 917/30 Spyder race car from the 1970s – a pure electric vehicle in the colours of the half-century-old combustion legend. There were many latest versions of the Macan 4 as well.
The booths were modular and designed to be packed away, rebuilt and reconfigured for future events.
“The decision was driven by responsibility and consistency,” said Khalil, before adding: that there was a sense of responsibility towards youth.
“Engaging younger audiences isn’t about future sales; it’s about culture,” he said.
